Sliding curtain



(N5 model.

' A. D. ELLIOTT.

. SLIDING CURTAIN;

- Patented Feb. 23, 1897.

a is;

NITED STATES 1 ALEXANDER DAYTON ELLIOTT, OF VIOLA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OFONE- I-IALF TO. SILAS EUGENE PARKMAN, OF ALEDO, ILLINOIS.

SLIDING CURTAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 577,57 5, datedFebruary 23, 1897.

Application filed June 12, 1896. Serial No. 595,240. (No model.)

. To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER DAYTON ELLIOTT, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Viola, Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Sliding Ourtains, of which the followingisaspecification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical, andefficient sliding curtain and fixtures particularly adapted for use inconnection with shelving; and the invention consists in the features,combinations, and details of construction hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a set ofshelves and casin g with my improvements attached thereto; Fig. 2, anenlarged sectional elevation of a portion of a curtain andfixtures,taken on line 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an enlarged detail view of aportion of the curtain track and coupling;

Fig. 4, a transverse section taken through the front coupling on line aof Fig. 3; Fig. 5, an end elevation of the bracket for holding one endof the track; Fig. 6, a front elevation of the brackets shown in Fig. 5;and Fig. 7, an enlarged sectional view of the ball-holder, taken on line7 of Fig. 2.

In the art to which this invention relates it is well known that indry-goods and furnishing stores it is necessary to have shelvingperfectly free from doors or similar inclosing means, so that the boltsof cloth, ribbon, fancy goods, 850., may be taken down or put in placewith rapidity. At the same time it is desirable at night or duringholidays when the store is being cleaned to protect such articles fromdust, so that some kind of means should be provided that can be quicklyput in place and removed from the front of the shelving to protect thesame from dust, dirt, and the like.

The principal object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a simple,economical and efficient curtain that may be removably secured in frontof the shelving, so as to protect the same from dust or be takentherefrom and folded up when not desirable to use the same.

In constructing my improvement I make a track A of the desired form andsize, and secure it to the upper portion of the molding a of theshelving ordry-goods casing. This track I prefer to make in the shape ofa tube, having a longitudinal rift or opening a at its lower side, aflange a extending upwardly therefrom by which it may be secured to themolding, and a depending shield or guard a The curtain is formed of anydesired material B and provided at its upper end with a number of balls0, which are secured to the upper portion of the curtain by means oftapes 0. The curtain may be of any length desired and provided with anumber of these balls of such a size as to readily slip into the openend of the tubular track, so that the curtain may be stretched or drawnout, as partially shown in Fig. 1, the balls preventing the catching ofthe curtain in the track and providing an efficient means for drawingthe curtain out or gathering it into the desired space.

To withdraw the curtain when desired or replace it in position, I preferto make the track in two sections, one a fixed section, as abovedescribed, and secured to the case molding, and theother a removablesection D, of suflicient length to permit all of the holding balls to begathered and held in it, as hereinafter described. This section issecured to the fixed track-section by means of a coupling E, (shown inFigs. 3 and 4B,) and its opposite end held on a bracket Gr, (shown inFigs. 5 and 6,) so that all that is required in order to remove thecurtain is to lift the end cl of the removable section from the bracketand withdraw the opposite end of the coupling E. The curtain maybe thenrolled up around the removable section and stored away until it isnecessary to use the same. When it is desired to again use the curtain,the same is unrolled from around this removable section, the removablesection put in position, and the curtain drawn out, as shown in Fig. 1.

I claim- 1. In asliding curtain, the combination of a fixed trackportion, a sectional track removably secured thereto, and a curtainslidingly mounted in such track and adapted to be slid into theremovable section to be removed from or placed in position,substantially as described.

2. In a sliding curtain, the combination of a tubular track portion,comprising a fixed section and a removable section having a longitudinalopening or rift therein, and a curtain slidingly mounted in such trackportion and adapted to he slid into the removable section to be removedfrom or placed in position, sub stantially as described.

3. In a sliding curtain, the combination of a tubular track portion,comprising a fixed sec tion and a removable section having alongitudinal opening or rift in the lower section thereof, a flange forsecuring the fixed portion of the track in position, a coupling forremovably holding the removable section in engagement with the fixedsection, a curtain provided With holding-balls arranged in the trackportion and adapted to be slid into the removable section to be removedfrom or placed in position, substantially as described.

a. In a sliding curtain, the combination of a tubular track portion,comprising a fixed section and a removable section having a lowerlongitudinal rift or opening in the lower por-.

